The First International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion will be held at the Hershey Hotel, Hershey, Pennsylvania, May 19-21, 2005. Pediatric heart surgeons, scientists, biomedical engineers, cardiologists, intensivists, anesthesiologists, pediatric perfusionists, and nurses are invited to attend this unique academic event. The main objective of this conference is to focus on the current problems associated with pediatric cardiac patients during and after acute or chronic cardiac support. In this conference, we will bring together as many distinguished physicians and scientists as possible, in order to precisely define the current problems and to suggest solutions with novel approaches. This will be the only national/international conference to focus solely on pediatric cardiac patients. The main topics will include pediatric cardiac assist devices; axial, centrifugal, rotary, and pulsatile pumps; ECMO; pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass, pediatric heart-lung machines and membrane oxygenators; pulsatile versus non-pulsatile perfusion; pediatric heart valves; pediatric heart and lung transplantation; systemic inflammation during acute and chronic support; ultrafiltration; computational fluid dynamics; novel designs of future pediatric heart pumps, and the effects of acute and chronic mechanical circulatory support on vital organs in neonates and infants. The scientific program will include Keynote Lectures, Invited lectures, Regular Slide Presentations and Moderated Poster Presentations. We will also include a Special Panel for the NHLBI's Pediatric Circulatory Support grant awardees who will be invited to present in this conference. The manuscripts from all of the contributors including key note, invited, slide and poster presenters will be peer-reviewed and will be published in the November-December 2005 issue of the ASAIO Journal.